Legends of Konoha Canceled
by Sylis
Summary: Story has been Canceled
1. Return of Naruto

**Welcome back to the story of Legends!**

Dialog Legend

-"Spoken"-

-'Thoughts'-

-_Flashbacks_-

-**Kyubi**-

&&&&

**Legends of Konoha**

_Return of Uzumaki Naruto_

&&&&

The sounds of nature had never been so calming before. Birds chirping, the wind's breeze gently moving through the trees, it was like paradise. Though nature was not always left alone, the sound of footsteps soon accompanied the wind and animals.

Gazing at the amazing sight was two cerulean eyes, joined by a full head of blond, spiky hair. He wore an orange and black colored jacket with a large swirl on his left shoulder. He also wore orange pants with a kunai pouch on his right leg. "You know Ero-Sennin; it's hard to believe I've been away for so long." He scanned around, his mind wandering on all the past events in his life. "I remember everything about this place, like I was just here yesterday."

His companion was the infamous frog hermit, one of the Legendary Sannin and the author of the popular Icha Icha book series. He smiled, crossing his arms. "Well… You did spend many years here; it is an important part of your life. I'm sure you have many fond memories

Naruto laughed, pointing to the old man. "I would have never expected you to say something this poetic."

"Hey, I might be a super pervert," Jiraiya glared at his young student, "but I do have my creative side!" He quickly pulled a blue book out from behind his back. "I am a famous author after all!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Naruto waved his hands in the air; sarcasm was off the charts in his voice. "It's been so long…"

'Konohagakure, the Land of Fire… It is the place I call home. Even though there are still many there that despises me for the Kyubi being inside me.' He let out a depressing sigh. 'I suppose that is to be expected for a Jinchuuriki.' As quickly as his depression came, it was replaced by a warm smile. 'Even for all those who hate me, there are people I can call friends, perhaps even more.'

'One person, whom I hold dear to my heart, is my fellow teammate and good friend.

_Naruto stood up, turning to the doorway. He began to wave his hands like an idiot. "Hey! Sakura-chan!" He was instantly shoved to the ground, but not before his head slammed into the desk with a loud thud._

"_Out of the way Naruto!" Sakura yelled, sitting down next to Sasuke._

_-_

"_Naruto… You're annoying…" Sakura said with an angry glare._

'Even though she treated me like mud on the bottom of her shoe, I had such a crush on Sakura-chan, but I know now that it would never be anything more than that. The more time I spent with neesan, the more I could find myself to have casual conversations with her.'

'She is a Grade A student, she had everything from the Academy days memorized. Her chakra control was perfect. But… When it came to fighting, her skills were below average. She didn't truly realize this until the Chunin exams. In her match against Yamanaka Ino, both kunoichi pushed so hard, going all out. Their battle was amazing; each continued to surprise the other, until it came down to one last punch… They knocked each other out. Sakura-chan really impressed me that day; she showed me just how badly she wanted to be a ninja.'

'Becoming Tsunade-baachan's student, neesan was on the path of becoming a great medical-nin. Too bad I had to leave before I could watch her become the best…'

"_Naruto, must you leave?" Sakura asked, trying to hold her tears back._

_The blond replied with a nod, a look in his cerulean eyes showed sadness. "As much as I don't want to… I have to go." He let out his signature fox-like grin. "Besides, I still have to bring Sasuke-teme back, like I promised." As he turned around, he felt a pair of arms embracing him tightly, followed by wetness on his orange jacket._

_Sakura was sobbing into his back, holding onto Naruto with all of her might. "Promise me… You'll come back in one piece. Promise me, Naruto."_

_Naruto turned around, lifting Sakura by her chin so they were now face to face. He leaned into her, hugging her in the same way she hugged him. "I give you my word, I will return, Sakura-chan." With that said, Naruto slowly backed away, waving goodbye to his close friend._

'Sakura-chan is one of the most precious people to me; I would never want anything to happen to her.' A worried look appeared on his Naruto's face as he rubbed the back of his head. 'I just hope that he looks after everyone like I asked, I know how much stubborn he can be when he doesn't want to do something…'

"_Now his appearance might seem a little… strange, but don't mind it. His enrollment as a Shinobi was a request of the Hokage-sama." Kakashi stated, looking to a tree that was just beyond the bridge. "Alright Sylis, you can come down now."_

_Hidden within the tree's leaves, a boy sat lazily on one of the bigger branches. He was partially visible, only being noticed if you were carefully looking at him. _

_Kakashi's arm moved in a swift movement as a kunai was sent in the direction of the young man. All of the young Genin tensed up as a thud was heard. Suddenly a branch that was blocking the boy fell to the ground, the leaves detaching as the tree's limb hit the earth. _

_With the tree branch gone, his rather bland attire was now visible, his face still hidden from sight. A blue t-shirt that has seen better days and gray pants with many rips and tears. In fact, the only things that looked new were Shinobi black sandals and Hitai-ate that hung around his neck. Reminisce of the boy's long blue hair could be seen, its length running down his back, ending at his waist. _

"_Hey! One-eye," the voice yelled, "quit being an ass." Mumbling of 'trying to sleep' followed the outburst. The young man jumped down, causing some gasps and whispers. The reason for the shock and confusion was the boy's odd appearance. His steel gray eyes hiding between his cascading bangs and the animalistic ears on the top of his head. They were large, unlike those of a dog or cat, but similar to those of a fox. _

'Sylis is a hanyou. A half demon who constantly labels himself as a loner and an outcast; he says he doesn't need anyone. Sylis is stubborn, rash, and argumentative to a fault, not to mention he has a bad habit of holding people at arm's length. I believe that this caused him to build walls that hide his pain and loneliness from those around him; similar to the mask I wear in front of everyone else. Because of all of that, I bet he isn't always sure how to act around other people. I understand how he feels, to a degree. While I only grew up with people hating me for the Kyuubi being sealed in me, he grew up with people hating him for his appearance, just for being born.'

'Sylis talks big, always picking fights and threatening to beat someone. Most people like that are full of hot air, but Sylis can back up his words. A sparring match would be interesting and fun, but I never want to get on his bad side.' Naruto shivered at the thought. 'I will never forget his match against that mummy looking sound-nin in the Chunin Exam preliminaries… He killed Dosu almost instantly; I didn't even catch what happened. There was also the time the Sound Five came back to the village.' Naruto scratched his head. 'I'm not sure what made him do it, but Sylis went to help out Rock Lee and Gaara in their fight against Kimimaro. From what I was told, the guy could turn his bones into weapons, creepy ability if you ask me. The report stated that Sylis showed up when Gaara was trying to hold the guy off of Lee. He appeared in time to watch Gaara attempt to finish the sound-nin off with a wave of sand. As Kimimaro began to crawl out of the sand, Sylis charged in and began his assault with just his claws. Apparently he had put up a good fight, but was knocked to the ground. Just as Gaara was about to take over the fight again, Sylis stood up, despite his severe injuries. After a loud growl, Sylis launched himself as Kimimaro, slashing at him with his right claws. It seemed as if he had missed, but seconds later, the sound-nin's blood rained over the area, his dead body collapsing to the ground. Sylis soon followed, probably from chakra exhaustion.'

'You know…' Naruto thought deeply, searching his memories. 'During all those fights and all the reports I've read… I don't ever recall his using any ninjutsu… Oh well.'

'Well, maybe he will look after the others…'

'The rest of the Konoha Eleven… I consider them all precious friends in my life. Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Tenten, Neji, Lee, Shino, Kiba, even Akamaru. But there is one more person I hold dear, She helped inspire me, she is important to me…

"_If a stronger person were to look at me… It might seem I haven't changed…" Hinata looked to the ground, her cheeks slightly pink. "But I think I was able to change." She looked up at Naruto, a half smile appearing on her face. "And I think it was thanks to you, Naruto-kun." She looked back to the ground, her gaze leaving the sight of a shocked Naruto. His was speechless for what seemed like an eternity. The entire time, Hinata's fingers were twiddling._

"_Hey… Hinata." Her head shot up, seeing the sad, yet serious look on Naruto's face. "Do you really think that?"_

"_What?"_

_A look of frustration appeared on Naruto's face as he glanced to the ground. "I may look strong from your point of view, but I always screw up… And I just act strong because I'm pissed."_

"_That's not true!" Hinata yelled, bringing her hands to her chest. Naruto quickly looked at the lavender haired kunoichi, the sudden outburst from the timid girl shocked him. Hinata smiled, feeling the flush rise to her cheeks. "Even if you did make a mistake, you were always… From my point of view, a proud man who makes a lot of mistakes." She glanced to the ground and then back at Naruto. She could feel her heart pounding as she tried to speak her true thoughts to the blond boy in front of her, but her fear of speaking just disappeared. "You make mistakes and you get stronger from them. I believe that is true strength." She smiled, her pale lavender eyes gazing upon his figure. "Naruto-kun, you are a strong person, I think."_

_Naruto stood with his mouth gapped opened. He couldn't believe the kind things that she had just said about him. He was use to insults and harsh comments, but this was the first time someone had said such kind things about him. His cerulean eyes gazed upon her; he felt such joy hearing those words from Hinata. He watched as she slowly backed behind the training post, hiding part of her face from him. A smile that expressed what he felt at that moment appeared on his face. "Thank you, Hinata." He adjusted the strap of his backpack. "Well… I should get going; I don't want to be late for my match against Neji." He turned his back towards Hinata, but he didn't move forward. "Hey, Hinata?" He turned his head towards her, a smile still on his face._

_She looked at him, a surprised look on her face. "Yes?"_

"_I always thought of you as…" Her heart began to race at his words; she could feel the heat rising on her crimson cheeks. "A dark, timid, and weird person."_

_Her head sunk a little at his words. 'Naruto-kun…'_

_He turned and began heading towards the stadium. "But you know something?" She looked back up, wondering what else he could possibly say._ "_I like people like you, Hinata."_

_Her cheeks had gone from pale to as red as a rose in seconds. She thought back to his words 'Like you…'_

'I didn't realize it right away… But Hinata was one of the kindest people I knew. During the Chunin Exams, she did nothing but help me. Offering to let me copy her test, giving me the ointment, she will always have a special place in my heart.'

'She said that I helped her change. If I did, then that is the least I could have done for her. She wanted to change, because people like her cousin saw her as a weak person… But she stood up against them, training hard every day. She wanted to prove them wrong, so I don't think she needed any help from me. Even so, I am glad I could help her. She is a kind person and she deserves to have a happy life with people that care about her, not people that won't put her down. I'll do anything to make her happy. I want to help her, because she has helped me a lot more than she might think. When I first met her, she was a very timid person who avoided confrontations, but when I last left her, she wouldn't give up no matter what! She is very precious to me, which is why it pained me so much when I had to say good bye…'

"_N-Naruto-kun." He glanced around before finally seeing the indigo haired girl behind him, a sad look in her eyes. "Is it true? A-are you leaving?" Hinata was on the verge of tears, trying to hide her face._

_Naruto nodded. "Yeah… Ero-Sennin and I are going to train… I have to get stronger if I want to stop Orochimaru." He slowly walked over to Hinata. "Hinata, you have to stay strong… You've said before that you are weak… But that isn't true." Hinata looked up at him, her eyes red from crying. "You are one of the strongest people that I know. So please, don't cry." He took his finger, wiping away her tears, which caused her to almost faint. He reached into his backpack, pulling out a small box. "I might be gone for some time, so I wanted you to have this." He placed the box into her hands. "It's the only thing I could think of that holds sentimental value."_

_Hinata slowly opened the box, seeing a pair of green goggles, the same goggles that Naruto wore before becoming a Genin. She shook her head. "I-I can't accept this."_

"_Please, take it. Besides, I'll have to come back for them." Naruto said, putting on his biggest goofball smile._

"_P-promise?"_

"_I give you my word! And I never go back on my word."_

'Hinata… I will fulfill that promise…'

'**Kit, why did you just narrate a whole crap of useless memories?'**

'Shut up Fuzz ball.'

The sun was shining brightly; the cool wind could be felt throughout the village. The breeze gently kissed the ivory complexion of a girl's cheek, her long indigo hair swaying in the direction of the wind. A smile curved on the lips of the 5'3" girl as she remembered the letter her pink haired friend had received a few weeks ago.

_-Flashback-_

"_Hey! Hinata!" The pink haired kunoichi ran up to her, breathing heavily._

"_What is it, Sakura-chan?" Hinata had just exited the front doors of the Hokage's Tower._

"_It's a letter from Naruto! He's coming back!" Sakura yelled as she wrapped her arms around the Hyuga heiress, pulling her into a tight embrace. Sakura broke the hug, backing away. She could see the look of both joy and surprise on Hinata's face, as well as the light tint of pink in her cheeks._

"_N-Naruto-kun! He's coming back?" A small smile appeared on her face._

"_Yeah! According to the letter, he'll be here in the last week of September!" Sakura quickly made her way around Hinata, placing her hand on the door handle. "Sorry, but I've got to let Hokage-sama know!" With that said she whipped the door open, running inside the building._

_-Flashback ended-._

Hinata reached into her backpack, pulling out a pair of green goggles.

'Naruto-kun…' Her hands squeezed the goggles. 'You're keeping the promise… Just like you said.' She stopped walking, looking up at the gates of Konoha. 'Ever since that letter… Everything has reminded me of Naruto-kun. Everyone in the Land of Waves spoke so proudly of him…' She closed her eyes, a big smile on her face. 'He has always been able to do that with people. If only the people here would treat him like Tarzana-san, Tsunami-chan, and Inari-kun spoke of him… As a great person.' Hinata sighed, as she looked at the scroll in her other hand. A figure walked up behind her, their green kimono blowing in the wind.

"Shouldn't we get to the Hokage now?" The slightly feminine voice asked the Hyuga girl.

"Ah." She said as she tucked the items away. "Sorry." Hinata quickly made her way to the tower, with her traveling companion in tow.

&&&

"We arrived a lot sooner than expected." Jiraiya stated.

Naruto glanced over at Jiraiya, an annoyed look on his face. "Let me guess… you're going to do some research…"

A huge smile appeared on the pervert's face. "Don't mind if I do!" The author leaped in the direction of the Konoha hot springs.

'Damn pervert…_'_ The blond let out a sigh. "He'll never change." He calmly began walking towards the gate. "I wonder how much the others have changed…"

'**Must you make so much noise kit? I am trying to get some sleep here.**_**'**_ Kyuubi let out a fierce growl.

'Calm down will ya? Stupid fox' Kyuubi just growled again in annoyance. Naruto continued his mental conversation with his body's roommate. 'How do you think everyone has been?'

'**Well, the blond bimbo with the rack, alcohol poisoning. The villagers are so stupid; they probably drown from looking up at a rain storm.' **Kyuubi let out a mischievous snicker.

'Come on, not all the villagers are morons, just a majority of them.' After a moment of silence, both Kyuubi and Naruto shared a laugh. 'As for Tsunade-baachan, well… With the way she drinks I wouldn't be surprised… But she could just heal herself I suppose.' Naruto grinned. 'That's the perk of being a medic-nin.' Naruto crossed his arms behind his head. 'I'm sure Kakashi-Sensei, Sakura-chan, and the others have everything under control… Then again, Sylis might be picking fights and hospitalizing people…' The blond let out a sigh. 'I hope he doesn't cause too much damage.'

'…' Kyuubi became very silent, lowering its head in his cage.

'What's with you Kyuubi.' Naruto stopped in his tracks, to interrogate his Kitsune companion. 'What are you all silent and moody for?'

'…'

'What the hell is your problem?!' Naruto yelled, mentally.

'**Just drop it.'** Kyuubi growled, laying his head down in his prison.** 'Besides, we're at the west gate already.'**

Naruto snapped out of his trance, discovering that the kitsune was right. He stopped, his eyes taking in the sight of his home.

"Good to be back." He said with a smile, walking passed the check-in station.

Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu sat at the west gate check-in station, looks of complete and udder boredom on their faces. A lone figure quickly caught both of their attention, smiles growing on their faces.

"Hey, was that?" Kotetsu rose to his feet, keeping an eye on the blond figure.

"Yeah, no doubt about it!" Izumo assured.

"Looks like our hyperactive loudmouth is back." Kotetsu beamed with a grin.

Naruto continued walking, glancing at all the buildings. He spotted a tall pole, supporting telephone wires. Dropping his backpack, he ran straight up, to the top, taking in the view.

"This brings back memories!" The blond yelled as he stretched his arms out. "This place hasn't changed at all!" He quickly released his fox like grin, throwing his right hand up in the air. "Everyone!" He yelled as loud as he could. "Uzumaki Naruto has returned!"

"Who is making all the racket?" Naruto quickly glanced down to the voice's owner, seeing a familiar, pineapple haired man standing next to a flaxen hair woman, her hair in four large, bushy tails. The grin grew wider as she recognized the man.

"Hey! Shikamaru!" He yelled as he jumped down from the tall post. Getting a better look at the two, Shikamaru's appearance hadn't changed much over the years. His gray shirt was now replaced by a black, long sleeve shirt with a metal plate on his left upper arm. Over that, he still wore his green Chunin vest. The woman wore what seemed like a black kimono, but its design was suited for battle. A red sash around her waist, a black Hitai-ate of Sand around her forehead, and a giant battle fan on her back. Both the black haired man and flaxen woman gave a questioning glance.

"Naruto…" A large smile appeared on the shadow user's face. "Hey! If it isn't Naruto!"

'This is that shrimp?' Temari wondered, the battle between her brother and the said blond replaying in her mind.

"So you came back!"

"Yeah." Naruto crossed his arms behind his head. "Just got back."

"Hmm." Shikamaru quickly glanced over the blond Shinobi. "You don't seem like such a baka anymore." He let out a small laugh. "How do I say it? You've changed."

"Glad ya noticed." Naruto turned to his friend's companion, giving her a quick look over. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"You don't remember?" The flaxen hair kunoichi asked, giving a fierce glare. After observing Naruto's clueless expression, she let out a sigh.

"That's right! You're Gaara's sister." Naruto smiled. "So, what are ya doing here in Konoha?"

"Well, I've been bouncing back and forth between here and Suna for the Chunin Exams." She shrugged her shoulders. "It's been really hectic."

'The Chunin Exams…' Naruto thought to himself, remembering that his rank was still technically a Genin.

"What are you going to do Naruto?" The blond was quickly pulled back into reality by Shikamaru's voice. He looked up at his old friend, giving the shadow manipulator a questioning look. "About the Chunin Exams, you're one of the only ones in our age group who hasn't become a Chunin."

"What!?" The boy yelled, his eyes turning to Temari. "You're a Chunin too?"

"Actually, she, along with her brother Kankuro, and Hyuga Neji are Jounin." Shikamaru stated, pointing to the flaxen hair girl.

"Damn... What about Gaara?"

"He is the Kazekage now." Temari's words sunk in deep.

'Gaara… Kazekage? Already?' A smile appeared on his face. 'Well I guess that shows that if he can become the Kazekage, then there is no way I won't become Hokage!' "I'm sure he is doing a good job." Naruto said with a smile, but a thought quickly came up. "Wait… You said I'm one of the only ones in our group." He turned his attention to Shikamaru, who had an eyebrow raised. "Who are the others?"

"The only other person is that Hyuga girl, Hinata."

"Hinata?" He began to worry slightly, not sure why he was worried. "Why? She strong! She should have been able to pass the Exam no problem." He looked at Shikamaru in time to see and hear him muttering the word troublesome.

"I agree with you. She could pass the exam, if she participated."

"What?" The blond Shinobi gave him a questioning look.

"It's just like I said, she hasn't participated since the first exam we were all in." Shikamaru placed his hands in his pockets. Still seeing the confused look on Naruto's face, he let out a sigh. "Before you ask, I don't know why she hasn't." He pointed towards the center of the village, at the Hokage's tower. "She went to see the Hokage, why don't you ask her yourself?" A huge grin appeared on Naruto's face and a smile appeared on Shikamaru's, mainly because he knew he wouldn't be answering any more questions.

"Thanks Shikamaru." Naruto happily said as he ran passed the two. He stopped and looked back. "Have fun on your date." Letting out a suppressed laugh, he continued towards the Hokage's tower.

"We aren't dating!" Both yelled in unison. One muttered the word moron while the other muttered 'How troublesome.'

The orange and black blur was hopping from rooftop to rooftop, heading to the center of the village. Jumping to the stop of the stairs, he quickly entered the building. Making his way through the round corridor, he came to a sudden halt when he saw a lone figure standing in front of the Hokage's office. After closer inspection, it was a female with indigo hair that dropped to her mid back. By the kunai pouch on her right leg, he could tell she was a ninja. Her clothes were familiar, like he had seen them before, but the colors were different. _'Wait!'_ He noticed a scent of lavender that seemed to flow from her.

"Is that?" Naruto stepped closer. A huge smile appeared on his face. "It is!" Naruto ran up, wrapping his arms around the girl in a tight hug. "Hinata!"

Hinata slowly turned her head, seeing a familiar sight of ruffled blond hair and whisker markings. "N-Naruto-kun!" Her cheeks flared up, she was on the verge of fainting. 'Pull yourself together!' Hinata took a deep breath. "When did you get here? It's great to see you!"

The blond released his embrace, allowing her to turn around. He scratched the back of his head. "Just this morning." A saddened look appeared on Naruto's face. "Why haven't you participated in the Chunin Exams?" The question threw Hinata off guard, causing her to look to the ground.

"Well, I… umm…" Hinata began to twiddle her fingers. "I… just don't think I would do well…"

"Are you kidding?" Naruto smiled, giving her a thumb up. "You could be Chunin, no questions asked!" He exclaimed with his signature grin plastered on his face.

"Thanks, Naruto-kun." She smiled, tucking strands of her long hair behind her ear.

"So, you're here to see baachan too?" Naruto glanced at door leading to Tsunade's office, then back at Hinata. She nodded.

"I need to give her my mission report, along with some other documents."

"Well, let's head on in!" Before he could move any farther, Hinata stopped him.

"We can't, she is speaking with a young girl from the Land of Waves." Naruto looked at her.

"Girl from the Land of Waves?" He began to run though the faces in his mind, but he drew a blank. "Nothing rings a bell, what's her name?"

"Haku." As she spoke the name, Naruto was dumbfounded. (**Yes, Haku is a girl in my story. And yes, she is alive. She barely survived the Chidori to the chest.)**

"Haku?" Naruto scratched his head. "Why did she come here? Is she even in condition to be up and moving?"

"I'm not sure, but she asked if she could come back with me, she wanted to speak with the Hokage about something."

"Strange..." Suddenly, the door opened, a familiar woman in a black kimono with raven hair walked out, shutting the door behind her. Mumbling with her head hung low, she walked right passed Naruto and Hinata, not even noticing them.

"I wish Tsunade-sama would help out with some of the paper work once in awhile." Shizune sighed, continuing down the hallway.

"Heya Nee-san." The blond's voice caused her to turn around.

"Naruto-kun!" She ran up, pulling the fifteen year old into a tight embrace. "It's been so long! How have you been? Have you been eating well? Please tell me you haven't turned into a mini Jiraiya-san!" A worried look appeared on her face.

Naruto couldn't help but laugh. "Jeez! Calm down!"

"Sorry, Naruto-kun, I'm just so happy to see you!" Shizune released the boy from her grip. "But I was serious about becoming a mini Jiraiya-san." All three of them shared a laugh. She glanced over at the young Hyuga girl. "Ah, Hinata-chan, it's good to see you." She straightened herself out, turning back to the direction she was going before. "Well, Tsunade-sama asked me to get some forms. It seems Haku wishes to become a citizen here."

"Did she mention anything about becoming a ninja for Konoha?" Naruto asked eagerly which Shizune responded with a shake of her head. "Well, I guess it isn't that much of a surprise…" Naruto gave a quick smile. "Haku has the skill, but she is just too kind of a person to have the blood stained life of a shinobi." Shizune smiled, giving a bow to both of the young ninja.

"I hope to talk to you two more. Take care, Hinata-chan, Naruto-kun." The older woman made her way down the hall, quickly disappearing out of sight. Naruto glanced over at Hinata.

"Well, let's head in." Naruto walked to the door, given it a hard knock. Soon after, they heard a woman say 'Enter', prompting them to open the door.

"That was rather quick Shizune." The Hokage called out, expecting her assistant to enter. She was shocked by the voice she heard.

"Expect the unexpected, baa-chan." The blond said as he entered the room, the Hyuga heiress in tow. Upon first glance, he saw two women. The first was Tsunade whose appearance hadn't changed at all; the second was an older teenager. The turquoise kimono she wore covered her feminine assets. Her black hair was worn down, reaching her lower back. The girl stood slightly shorter than Naruto, her brown eyes staring at him.

"If it isn't Naruto, it's good to see you back." Tsunade said as she glanced at the two. Her hand was now raised towards the other occupant of the room. "I believe you know Haku from your mission to Wave." She received a confirming nod from Naruto.

"It's great to see you again, Naruto." The woman smiled. "It has been too long." Naruto smiled, nodding his head in agreement. "I suppose you have things to talk about with Tsunade-sama. I'll take my leave." She turned to the Hokage, giving her a bow. She soon did the same with Naruto and Hinata, exiting the room. The blond and indigo hair shinobi turned their attention back to the Hokage, seeing that she was preparing to speak.

"It looks like you've grown into a fine young man Naruto. It is good to see that that old teammate of mine hasn't rubbed off on you." Soon after finishing her sentence, the happy smile was replaced with a serious look. Reaching into her desk, she pulled out a manila folder and placed it on her desk. Her gazed turned to Hinata, then to Naruto. Tsunade's elbows were on her desk with her hands together. "Naruto, in this folder is information regarding your family heritage. I understand if you wish to view the contents alone." Her gaze returned to Hinata, Naruto's following.

"I understand." Hinata prepared to turn to the door. "I will le-."

"No, that's alright." Both females turned to Naruto, slightly surprised. "I don't mind." He said, giving his reassuring grin. Hinata could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. To allow her to stay, though a small act, made her feel special.

'Interesting…' Tsunade smiled to herself, before nodding. "Alright," she motioned them to the chairs in front of the wooden desk. "I suggest that you two sit down." After sitting down, Naruto reached for the folder. Stamped on it, in red, was the word 'Confidential' along with the written signature on it, Namikaze Minato.

'The Yondaime?' Naruto thought to himself, just staring at the folder in his hands.

"There were specific instructions left for the Third to give this to you when you turned fifteen years old. The Yondaime felt you would be old enough then to protect yourself from any dangers the information might bring." She looked at Hinata. "There are some secrets in there that are for your eyes only. Hinata, you mustn't look inside the folder under any circumstances." The blonde Hokage turned to Naruto. "You are free to tell her of the information inside, to a degree. I am sure you will know what you shouldn't tell her."

Naruto nodded before opening the folder, his hand quivering in both fear and excitement. He felt a hand on his left shoulder, causing his head to jerk in that direction.

"It's alright, Naruto-kun." Hinata said with a reassuring smile on her face, she gave his shoulder a soft squeeze.

Naruto's hand slowly became steady, his eyes relaxed as well. His lips formed a smile, mouthing a silent 'Thank you.' All eyes were on the loudmouth blond as he slowly opened the folder.

On the very top were a few documents, a picture paper clipped to the top. Naruto took the picture in hand, examining it closely. It was a photo of a tall man with shaggy blond hair and eyes that were identical to his own. He wore the attire of a Konoha Jounin, a green vest and a Leaf Village Hitai-ate around his forehead. He had his right arm around the shoulder of the woman next to him; she stood only a few inches shorter than the man. She had noticeably red hair that stopped just above her neck. Her green eyes were held sharpness to them; they were the eyes of a ninja. She held a grin that could go up against Naruto's. She wore a strange cloak that her back and her right arm, underneath she wore a sleeveless fishnet shirt. After studying the picture for what seemed like an eternity, he placed it down, picking up the first document.

_Dear Naruto,_

_If you are reading this, then I am no long of this world. When the Kyubi no Kitsune was spotted, I knew he was coming to destroy Konohagakure. I will try to reason with the Kyubi, but I have a feeling it will fall upon deaf ears. Actions taken by some of our own foolish citizens led to his attack on our village, as well as the death of a good friend of mine and her son. I am sure many more deaths will follow in the Kyubi's attack._

_I am prepared to do what I must to in order to save the rest of the village, to give you and your mother a future. To destroy the Kyubi, is a task that is almost impossible, I do not possess the power to do so; my only choice is to use the Shiki Fujin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal) and seal the demon's spirit inside you. You a probably asking, "Why me?" I would have gladly sealed the fox's spirit inside my own body, but he would simply escape, a newborns body is stronger, it was the only way. And I couldn't ask anyone else to offer his or her child; I just simply couldn't do it. I know I can't ask you to forgive me, so I won't. I can only tell you that I am so sorry to burden you with this._

_If this battle goes the way I am predicting, I will make sure to let the villagers know that you are not the Kyubi, but its container, a hero. If you decide to become a ninja, search out a man named Jiraiya. He was my sensei, but he is a bit of a pervert. He should be able to teach you a move I was working on, Rasengan._

_Whatever you decide to do, just know that I am proud to have you as my son. Take care of yourself and your mother._

_Namikaze Minato._

Naruto stared at the paper in both shock and disbelief. He felt his eyes water up as tears rolled down his cheek and stained the letter from his father. His throat had become unusually dry, making it harder for him to speak. "My… father was… the Yondaime?"

Hinata gasped. 'Naruto-kun is the Yondaime's son!?'

"Why?" Naruto looked up at the blonde kunoichi; his feelings of shock were soon replaced by anger. "Why didn't anyone ever tell me!?"

"We weren't allowed to…" Tsunade did her best to hold back her tears; she hated to see Naruto so hurt. "Only a few people knew who your parents were, your father didn't want you to gain the enemies he had gained over his life." Tsunade walked around her desk, kneeling down in front of the seated Naruto. "Until you were old enough to protect yourself, this was supposed to remain hidden from you, as well as everyone else." She slowly wrapped her arms around the blond boy, hugging him the same way a mother would. "Those who know will not say a word to anyone, but you are allowed to tell whom ever you wish."

"The Yond-, I mean my father, he spoke about my mother." He looked into Tsunade golden eyes. "What happened to her?" Tsunade attempted to look away.

"I believe there is a letter from her as well." Naruto's eyes opened wide as he heard this, he quickly picked up the paper underneath his father's letter.

_My darling son Naruto,_

_I'm sorry for the trials that lie ahead of you. Your father died protecting this village, you and he are both heroes. I knew what his backup plan was and as much as I hate to say it, I agree with him. To ask another to volunteer their child is unthinkable._

_I wish I could be there to help you, but I will not live long enough to help you. I've been ill for a long time now; the fact that I survived giving birth to you is nothing less than a miracle. I've kept this all hidden from your father for a few months; I didn't want to worry him._

_After the damn fox was sealed in you, I held you for hours and I cried. I'm expected to join your father in the afterlife soon; I'll have to kick his ass for dieing._

_I know you'll make me proud, you'll do great. You may not have a kekkei genkai like those damn Uchiha or Hyuga, but you'll be stronger then all of them, just work hard._

_I love you Naruto. You better find a nice girl and continue the Uzumaki name._

_Uzumaki Kushina_

The letter was now crumpled in his hands, tears staining the paper. A low sniffle echoed through the room as Naruto tried to hold his tear back. Hinata's body acted on its own, doing something that her shyness wouldn't normally let her do. She stood from her chair, walking behind the blond boy and protectively wrapped her arms around Naruto. She closed her eyes, resting her head on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto-kun…" She softly whispered into his ear. "It's alright… I'm here." Hinata snapped out of her trance when she felts the touch of Naruto's hand on her arm. Her entire face was on fire; her pale complexion was now as red as a rose.

"Thank you… Hinata, I'm ok now."

Hinata nodded, she placed her hands at her sides, backing away from Naruto. Tsunade's glance once again found Hinata.

'That girl will only help Naruto from now on…' She smiled to herself. 'I have to say, they would make a cute couple.' "Naruto." Naruto and Hinata looked towards the Hokage. "As you know, your apartment isn't exactly in great condition nor is it a proper place for a shinobi to be living. Stated in your mother's last will, along with a small fortune, you will be inheriting your parent's house." She pointed to the opened folder. "In there you will find the deed, as well as the keys to your new home." She shrugged her shoulders. "Although Minato lived there, don't expect a mansion. It's simply a small household for a few people; it should be more than enough." She pointed to another document within the pile now on her desk. "This is the legal notice that you are now the sole proprietor of your parent's account."

"I see." He reached into his pocket, pulling out an old key. "I'm guessing I won't need this, I doubt there is anything left in good enough condition to take anyways." He tossed the key to the blonde woman, she caught it with ease. Naruto looked down at the scattered papers on Tsunade's desk. He reached into them, picking up the old photo, the keys to his new living quarters, as well as the documents for his new account and property. "Thanks for everything Tsunade-baachan, I really appreciate it." He bowed respectfully, which is something he rarely did.

"Of course Naruto, I have to look out for my friends' son, right?" Naruto gave his signature fox grin, before heading for the door.

"Want to check out the place, Hinata?" She blushes slightly, but nodded her head. Following her crush, they both exited office. After the click of the latch was heard, Tsunade stood. Heading towards the window, her eyes found the Hokage's monument, specifically the face of the Yondaime.

"Minato, Kushina, your son turned out just fine. He shares both of your good and bad qualities." A smile quickly appeared on her face. "I'll have to get a party planned; I'll be drinking to your return tonight, Naruto."

&&&

The sound of the usual afternoon commotion was apparent in the streets of Konoha; people went through their day as normal. The shinobi were no different as five ninjas, along with a rather large dog, walked towards the restaurant district.

"I'm so starving…" The spiky, brown haired boy complained. He wore dark tan jacket, brown pants, and a kunai holster on his right leg. He wore a blue Hitai-ate around his forehead, his cheeks has rather large red triangles on each side. Walking next to him was a white dog, which could easily be bigger than the boy.

"Always thinking with your stomach, huh Kiba?" A pink hair kunoichi said, a snicker soon following. The girl had a red Hitai-ate worn in her mid length hair, like a ribbon. She wore a red sleeveless shirt, with a white circle on her back. She wore black spandex shorts, which were covered by a tan skirt, a kunai holster on her right leg. On her arms, she wore elbow pads of the same color and black gloves.

"What can I say, I use up a lot of energy kicking your butt today, Sakura." This remark caused him to receive a few glances. "What?"

"If I remember correctly…" The silver haired Jounin began to talk, closing a familiar orange book. "You were the one on the ground begging her to stop, Kiba." This caused Haruno Sakura, Hatake Kakashi, and the red-eyed kunoichi, Yuhi Kurenai to laugh, even receiving a small chuckle from the bug user who wore all black with the exception of a green jacket and hood. A pair of shades hid the eyes of the last member of the group, Aburame Shino. Inuzuka Kiba scoffed, muttering to himself, which just made everyone laugh even more.

"Don't be embarrassed Kiba." Kurenai spoke up, causing him to glance at her. "Sakura is a worthy adversary, just learn from your mistakes and improve."

"So, where shall we eat?" Kakashi asked, as he put his copy of Icha Icha Paradise away. The group began scanning the area, looking for a suitable place to enjoy their lunch, when Kiba stopped dead in his tracks. The others stopped, looking to the boy and his canine companion.

"What is it, Kiba?" Shino stood with his hands still in his pockets. He watched Kiba's noise as the boy sniffed the air. The bug user knew the answer now, and remained silent.

"I smell two familiar scents…" He sniffed the air again. "One is Hinata, but I can't quite place the other." He began walking to the right side of the street, the others soon following. As they came up to Ichiraku's Ramen stand, they could see the familiar clothing of the Hyuga girl through the short curtain. Next to her, was someone dressed in orange and black.

"Orange?" Shino questioned out loud. One would guess that Kakashi was smiling, his one visible eye closed. A smile grew on medical-nin's face, as she quickened her pace towards the ramen stand.

"I only know one person who enjoys ramen and wears orange." Sakura stopped in front of the curtain, wanting to see if she was right in a different way. "Hey!" She yelled. "Naruto!"

"Huh?" The figure in orange pants stood from his stool, walking out of the ramen stand and into plain sight. A smile quickly appeared on his face. "Hey! Sakura-chan!" His eyes quickly scanned the group, trying to put names to faces. "Kiba! Akamaru! Shino! Kakashi-sensei! Kurenai-sensei! It's great to see you all again!" He was soon joined by the timid Hinata, who bowed in greeting everyone. The first to speak was Kiba.

"Geez Naruto, you leave a shrimp and you come back a giant!" The brown haired shinobi grinned.

"Yeah, well just as you remember who the top dog is around here!"

"So, you two on a date or something?" Kakashi blatantly asked, causing both Hinata and Naruto to blush. Both shook their heads, causing some small laughter at their expense. "I see, so did you just get back Naruto?"

"I've been back since this morning, talked with Tsunade-baachan about some interesting information." A grinned appeared on his face.

"That would be?" The usually quiet Shino asked.

"It's a secret." Naruto began to chuckle lightly. Receiving quite a few glares, the blond decided to change the subject. "Anyways, how about ramen? My treat."

"You're buying us ramen?" Sakura walked up to her teammate, staring him straight in the eyes. "Are you sure you're Naruto?" She cracked her knuckles, "Either you've changed or you're an imposter." The blond shook his head furiously; not wanting to get hit with the full force of his teammate's rumored strength.

"I will explain everything in a short while, but first I-" His sentence was interrupted by the growl of his stomach, which was soon followed by Kiba's. "Come on guys, sit down." Reluctantly, everyone walked in and sat down, filling up all the open seats. "Hey Old man! Give them whatever they want, and I'll start out with three bowls with everything!"

After sixteen bowls of ramen, and a now half-empty Gama-chan, the group was following Naruto and Hinata through the noisy streets of the Leaf Village. Naruto and Hinata would stop every once in a while, making sure they were heading in the right direction.

"Just where are you taking us anyways?" Kiba was the first to ask; curious about the nicer section of the village they were in. "You always said your place sucked.

"You'll see, just be patient." Naruto said, waving him off.

"This coming from you Naruto?" Kakashi laughed. "You have changed. I hope you just haven't worked on just your manners and virtues for two years."

"Don't worry Kakashi-sensei, I'll show you my moves." Naruto stopped and looked at a ten-foot stonewall with some numbers on it. "Ah, here we are." After opening the wooden doors, everyone was astonished by the sight. In front of them was a natural pond that sat between their current position and a mid size building. Crossing the bridge, they went in for a closer look. It was a traditional two-story Japanese style house, surrounded by a valley of trees. **(If you want an idea of what it looks like, go to this link http:// 2005 dsn org/ img/ sankeien02.jpg Just replace the spaces with dots or nothing as needed.)** Although there was some minor damage due to years of maintenance not being done, but with some work it could be repaired.

"This place is beautiful…" Kurenai stated as she took in the view. Everyone turned to Naruto and Hinata. Their looks asked for an explanation. Naruto reached into his pocket pulling out a photo, handing it to Kakashi. After inspecting it, he recognized the blond as his former sensei and Yondaime, but the redhead was someone he didn't know.

"I have a slight idea where you are going with this…" Kakashi then revealed the picture to the younger Chunin in the group.

"Naruto, why do you have a picture of the Yondaime?" Sakura asked curiously. "And who is the woman in the picture? She is very beautiful." Naruto gaze fell to the ground, his eyes held both happiness and sadness to them.

"I'm sure my mother would be happy to hear that." Everyone gaze quickly found Naruto, who was raising his head with his fox like grin dawned. "I'm sure my father would be glad to hear you compliment his wife as well." Jaws dropped when the others heard this, with the exception of Hinata who already knew, and Kakashi who was grinning under his mask.

"I had my hunches when I first saw your file Naruto." Kakashi said as he handed the picture back to the blond. "Of course no proof ever appeared in my months of snooping."

"Well I'll be damned… The Yondaime's son was dead last in the academy!" Kiba was laughing so hard, his eyes were tearing up. The blond was laughing slightly as well.

"Perhaps, but you got beat by 'dead last' in the Chunin exams." Naruto snickered, causing Kiba to be the butt of the joke again. "Not to mention I wasn't even at the top of my game." Kiba laughed it off, deciding to take the damage done by his friend.

"Well Naruto," Kurenai walked up to the young boy, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I have to say I am happy for you, but what about this house? Did it belong to your parents?" Naruto nodded in response. "Well it looks like you have your work cut out for you." Glancing up at the sky, Kurenai took note of the sun's position. "It looks like we've spent too much time away from training, we better get going." Kiba and Shino followed their sensei closely.

"It was good to see you again Naruto." Sakura said as she hugged the blond. She broke the hug, standing next to Kakashi.

"I'll be interested to see how much you've improved Naruto." Kakashi moved towards the exit, pulling his favorite book out. "See ya later." Sakura and Kakashi left, leaving only Hinata and Naruto.

"Well," Naruto sighed, "I have a lot of work to do." Before he could make the hand seal for his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu), he heard a noise from behind.

"N-Naruto-kun." He turned around to see Hinata twiddling her thumbs. "If you'd like, I could help you out." Although he could use shadow clones for all the manual labor, she could easily spot repairs that he would miss, plus he wasn't going to refuse her company.

"Thanks Hinata, I really appreciate the help." He said with a smile. "With your help, we'll get a ton done."

Hours later…

The inside of the building was bustling with movement as more than twenty Narutos were working hard. In the center, Hinata, with the use of her Byakugan, was inspecting all the aspects of the needed repairs and feeding information to the real Naruto, who was in turn directing the clones. After going through many cans of paint, wood, and roofing tiles, the house was in much better condition. It was still missing furniture and appliances, but it was a large improvement over his old apartment.

"Phew, that was a pain…" The real Naruto said as all of his duplicates disappeared in a puff of smoke. The remaining Naruto then turned to Hinata, a smile on his face. "Hinata, I can't thank you enough for all of your help." She smiled, blushing slightly from his praise.

"It's the least I could do, Naruto-kun. You've helped me out so much in the past; I just wanted to do the same." Hinata smiled with the thoughts of Naruto's past acts fresh in her mind. She glanced outside, by the position of the sun, she guessed it was somewhere around six o'clock. "I should get going. It is getting late and I am sure father is worried."

"Right, I'll walk you home." Naruto said as he walked along side her. The indigo haired girl's cheeks became flushed; she looked away in attempt to hide it.

"N-Naruto-kun! You don't… need to do that." Hinata cursed herself for reverting back to her old habits. Naruto simple shook his head and smiled.

"I insist. It is the gentlemanly thing to do after all." Naruto said with a grin.

"But… Naruto-kun." She had no time to argue as Naruto grabbed her hand, causing her face to turn as red as a cherry. Making his way towards the front door, Hinata following behind him, he reached for the doorknob. Upon opening the door, he and Hinata were shocked by the sounds of cheering. Outside were all the people he had grown close to during his life. All of the Konoha Eleven, along with their sensei, was there. The Konohamaru Corp, Umino Iruka, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and even Temari were there. The only two people he couldn't spot were Kakashi and Sylis. The place was decked out with tables covered in food and drink; it is an understatement to say that Naruto was surprised.

'Oh boy.' Naruto thought as he scratched his head. 'And here I thought I would get a good night's sleep.'

* * *

_**Sakka Bunsho no Jutsu!**_

**(Author's Note Jutsu!… lame, I know)**

**Hey everybody! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the rewritten story. I'll be posting the second chapter with this one. Now, I would like to thank all of those who stuck with my annoying rewriting of my story again. For those who skipped the Author's Note chapter, my main reasoning for rewriting the story is that I had some ideas that I thought would be better than the way I was going with the story. Another reason is due to the recent manga chapters. I like to keep some of the facts as close as I can with the actual storyline. My part of the fan fic is that I am adding characters and pairing characters the way I would like them to be paired, though I have changed some minor parts of characters past and so on, but Naruto's parents, I wanted to keep as the story went, because that is really creative, not to mention the rumored name that was going around was not Minato's actual name.**

**As I said in one of my previous Author's Notes, before deleting it, I like to make writing the story a challenge as well; I like to get the readers involved in the story. As of now, I have two reviewers' own original characters being added to the story. A friend of mine, Nefriti, will be added later, and the reader known as Dragon Man 180 is having his character added to the story off the bat. Ryuu Kenshin will be in chapter two. So, if you would like to have a character of your own creation added to the story, then feel free to let me know. Just remember that I will send you an e-mail, asking for some in-depth information about your character. Is he a bad guy, good guy, an anti-hero of sorts, whatever you would like your character to be; I can try to work with it. Another thing you have to keep in mind when you ask for your character to be added is that, they can't be invincible. They have to have weaknesses; I want creative characters, not one designed by 7 year olds who don't lose ever. Also, I will be asking for a scene from certain reviewers, usually it will be something like my 50****th**** reviewer. They will get to pick a special scene between the characters they choose, or something of the sort. So leaving a review gets you involved in the writing of the story.**


	2. Results of Training

**Hey guys… Well I don't really have much to add that I didn't add on before, since I am posting two chapters in a row.**

**Welcome back to the story of Legends!**

Dialog legend

-"Spoken"-

-'Thoughts'-

-_Flashbacks_-

-**Kyubi**-

_Previously…_

All of the Konoha Eleven, along with their sensei, was there. The Konohamaru Corp, Umino Iruka, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and even Temari were there. The only two people he couldn't spot were Kakashi and Sylis. The place was decked out with tables covered in food and drink; it is an understatement to say that Naruto was surprised.

'Oh boy.' Naruto thought as he scratched his head. 'And here I thought I would get a good night's sleep.'

&&&&

**Legends of Konoha**

_Results of Training_

&&&&

The sound of clapping and cheering filled the air, as Naruto still stood shocked at the mob of people that were at his new residence. He scratched his head as he put on his best grin. Scanning the crowd, his gaze fell on Tsunade. She simply smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

"Long time, eh Naruto?" He quickly looked to the owner of the voice. Her purple outfit had mostly remained the same, though her white wrappings had disappeared. Her blonde hair had fully grown out to her waist; a large mass of her bangs blocked her right eye from view. The sky blue of her left eye was unique as the pupil was almost invisible. These features were all a dead give away to the identity of the female.

"Ino," Naruto smiled, "you're looking good. How have you been?" She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I'm good as you can get when you are grouped with these two." She quickly pointed to her sides. At quick glance, Naruto saw Shikamaru to her left. A quick nod between the two took care of the introductions. To her right was a rather larger boy, dressed in black pants and black sandals. His upper body was covered in red clothing with armor similar to a samurai. His hair was long and spiky; similar to Jiraiya, around his forehead was a red hitai-ate of the Leaf village. Red swirls were on each of his cheeks.

"Choji, nice working keeping Ichiraku in business while I was gone." Both boys shared a quick laugh.

"Great friends among Ichiraku Ramen lovers." Choji smiled, along with Naruto. "Good to see you back Naruto." As soon as he had stopped talking, more of their little group joined them. Sakura, Shino, and Kiba. Naruto was quickly put into a headlock by Kiba as laughter surfaced.

"Naruto…" Everyone looked up, seeing group of three. The man who spoke wore a mixture of black and white clothing, notably the formal robes of the Hyuga clan. His brown hair reached his lower back, tied into a ponytail half way down. Around his forehead was the Hitai-ate of Konoha. His pale eyes and expressionless face hadn't changed at all over the years. Hyuga Neji stood as tall as Naruto. A smile slowly formed on his lip. "Welcome back." Before Naruto could respond, a rather enthusiastic voice made itself heard

"Naruto! The Flames of Youth have brought guided you back home!" The voice was none other than the Green Beast of Konoha himself, Rock Lee. His appearance had remained the same, with the exception of the Chunin vest he now wore. Naruto laughed nervously at his friend's remarks.

"Hey Lee, it's good to see you doing so well." His response was followed by Lee's 'Nice Guy' pose, causing all of the others to sweat a little.

"You are so weird Lee…" The last one to make her existence known hadn't changed much, appearance wise. She wore clothing of Chinese origin, a white short sleeve shirt, and maroon colored pants. Her brown hair was still worn in two tightly wound balls, her Hitai-ate around her forehead. She looked at Naruto and smiled. "Welcome home Naruto, but I'm afraid you might have gotten Lee a little excited." She said in a worried tone, causing the group to look at their bushy brow companion. He was very antsy, yelling about his chance to test his skills again Naruto. Yet again, everyone was sweating. Suddenly, a thought came Naruto.

"Hey Neji." The older Hyuga looked at his blond friend. "I heard you made Jounin, congratulation." Neji smiled and nodded.

"Thanks."

"So, I don't have to worry about you being a proctor for the written part of the Chunin Exams, do I?" Neji couldn't help but grin at his question, which got Naruto a little worried.

"No," he stated calmly while shaking his head. "They said that would be an unfair for the Genin taking the exam, so you are spared." The blond let out a sigh of relief. Neji looked over at the girl next to Naruto, his cousin looked away from him. "I heard a rumor that you were going to participate this year, Hinata-sama. Is this true?" Hinata was surprised that her decision had spread so quickly, she had only decided this morning. "I see." Hinata looked up at her cousin. "You will need to find a third team member, I suggest you start looking now." Naruto listened carefully to his words, because he was right. "It will be hard to find someone you can work in sync with, it can't be just anyone."

"Yeah, you have a point…" Naruto began running through names, trying to think of a third partner. "What about Sylis?"

"Chunin." Shikamaru stated clearly. Naruto looked at him dumbfounded.

"Really?" The blond asked. "He made Chunin?"

"Yeah, would have guessed he has what it makes to be a leader." Kiba said, after scoffing.

"He doesn't work well with anyone, he refuses to work with us." Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "It really is a surprise that he became one." Naruto was once again, running through names.

"What about Ryuu Kenshin?"

"Did someone mention me?" The Konoha Eleven turned to see a young man wearing standard shinobi attire. Blue sandals, dark blue pants with kunai holster on his right leg. Over his black shirt, he wore a red jacket that covered the length of his arms. On his back, was a black footprint, similar to that of a dragon. He his hair was crimson red, his bangs hanging in front of his golden eyes while the back was tied in a bushy ponytail that reached his lower back.** (The hairstyle is a direct copy of Himura Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin.) **He wore a black hitai-ate around his forehead. He stood slightly taller than Naruto.

"Speak of the devil." Everyone turned to Shino, some jaws dropped and other just shocked. Neji just raised an eyebrow toward the bug user. Shino eyes glanced back and forth between the group, though the action was hidden by his shades. "Is it that unusual that I talk?" The silence and nervous moment of the group confirmed it.

"Anyway…." The red head looked at Naruto, smiling. "It's good to see you back after such a long time." His smiling face turned into a questioning look. "Now why did you same my name?"

"Still a Genin?"

"Yep." Naruto gave him a pat on the back, showing his signature grin.

"Congratulations, you're our third team member." Kenshin now wore a worried expression.

"Wait, team member? For what?" He nervously looked toward the others for an explanation, though he quickly faced Hinata when she spoke.

"Naruto and I are going to take part in the Chunin Exams, but we are short one member." She smiled slightly. "Would you be our last team member?" Kenshin simply smiled and nodded.

"Well I can't say no to you guys." He placed his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Though I can't train with you guys just yet, I have a mission tomorrow and it's going to last a couple days."

"A mission? Before the Exams?" Shikamaru looked over at their red haired companion. "Missions are put on hold for the Chunin Exams…"

"Usually, that's true." The group looked over to the blonde girl walking towards them. "But there seems to be some commotion at a town that serves as a check point between Suna and Konoha." Temari shrugged her shoulders. "My brother and the Hokage-sama wish to keep the roads safe for those traveling here during the exams."

"Just the two of you?" Naruto questioned, receiving a shake of the head from Kenshin.

"Four member team, the first is a female Leaf Genin, Kokuzoku Junko. The other, oddly enough, is Sylis." After finishing his sentence, some of the others looked at him like he was crazy.

"Wait, wait, wait… You're actually on a mission with Sylis? The Shadow Fox of the Arena?" Kiba scratched his head, mumbling to himself. "I didn't think that guy worked with anyone." Naruto stared at Kiba, confusion plastered on his face.

"Shadow Fox… of the… Arena?" Naruto had barely gotten his sentence out before Lee followed up.

"The Arena is a competition that started recently and became popular almost instantly." Lee's excitement showed in his eyes, as they seemed to be set ablaze. "It is a place where fighter's let loose their flames of youth in combat!" Once again, everyone was nervously sweating due to Lee's outburst.

"To put it short," Neji began talking over his teammate, who had yet to notice everyone was ignoring him, "the battles of the Chunin exams became so popular that the Hidden Shinobi Villages created the Arena. Like Lee said, it is a place where shinobi fight in, more or less, friendly competition. They thought it would help increase friendly relations between the villages. Currently, there are four ranks of the Arena. Genin, Chunin, Jounin, and Elite. You enter in teams, ranging from one to three members." Neji crossed his arms. "While most fight in teams, some fight alone like Sylis."

"Arena huh… Sounds like fun." Naruto grinned. "After the Chunin exams, I gonna have to enter."

"Well, it sure didn't sound like Sylis was happy about going on this mission." Kenshin sighed. "Before I entered the Hokage's office, I could hear him yelling from outside." The red head shivered. "I have to say, I would never have the guts to say the kind of things he… said…" Kenshin's attention at been averted, staring off to his side. When the others turned to see what he was looking at, they saw a girl with long raven hair speaking with Tsunade. Naruto and Hinata recognized it to be Haku. "Excuse me for a second." Kenshin said, quickly turning to his friends and bowing. He calmly walked toward the ex-Mist shinobi, and they began to make small talk. The others just watched then turned their attention back to each other.

"Anyways," the group turned to Kiba. "It's good to have you back kid." The brown haired boy held his fist out towards Naruto. The blond grinned and met his fist with his friend's. After a short 'Good bye', Kiba took his leave, heading toward the buffet table.

&&&&

After many hours of food, laughter, and story telling, the crowd slowly deteriorated into a small group. As the full moon continued to rise, the only people left were Naruto, Hinata, Neji, Sakura, and Tsunade. The five were talking casually, a bottle of sake in front of the Hokage while the others had canned beverages. Before long, they were interpreted by the footsteps of a silver haired man.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to take Pakkun for a walk, so I took a long way around." After a long period of silence and many glares at the copy-nin, he took notice of the lack of people. "Say… Didn't the party just start a few hours ago?" Everyone turned to Tsunade who was laughing so hard; she almost fell out of her chair.

"Well," she tried to compose herself, "I had a feeling you would show up late so I told you the party would start three hours later than when it did." Naruto couldn't help but join Tsunade in laughing, Hinata and Sakura were attempting to hold their laughter back as well. Even Neji grinned with amusement. The silver haired Jounin let out a sigh, accepting defeat. His attention turned to Naruto, who was wiping the tears from his eyes. "Naruto." The blond quickly turned to his sensei. "I hear you are going to attempt the Chunin exams again, have you gotten a team together?" The blond simply nodded.

"I have Kakashi-sensei." He hand motioned to the girl to his left. "Hyuga Hinata, and Ryuu Kenshin will be my teammates." Hinata confirmed Naruto's statement with a nod. Kakashi rubbed his chin with his index finger and thumb.

"I see." Be reached into the pouch on his waist. "I would like to see how strong you've grown, Naruto." He now held three small bells in his hand. "Since Kenshin will be on a mission, I guess I will test you, Sakura and Hinata." Naruto and Sakura grinned at the thought, while Hinata and Neji look at each other with a confused look, then at Kakashi. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything in the morning." After pulling out his little orange book, Kakashi turned to make his exit. "Meet me at training ground seven, six AM." With that, the copy-nin disappeared into the dark night. Soon, the Godaime rose to her feet, stretching out her limbs, knocking over an empty bottle of sake at the same time.

"I am calling it a night." She said, a slight tint of pink under her eyes. "It's great to see ya back kid. I'll take care of your team's registration for the exams." The Hyugas would remain for at least another hour, before Neji stood.

"I should get Hinata-sama home, it would be unwise to upset Hiashi-sama." At his words, Hinata stood next to him.

"Hai, neesan." She turned to Naruto, a smile on her face.

"Thanks for all the help today Hinata." Naruto placed his hands behind his head. "I couldn't have done it without ya." Hinata could feel the heat rise to her cheeks; she tilted her head in an attempt to hide her blush.

"You don't need to thank me. I… just wanted to help." The blond nodded at her answer, happy that she cared enough to help. After saying their goodbyes to Naruto and Sakura, the Hyugas were about to leave, but Naruto remembered something important.

"Wait Hinata!" The two turned around, confused by the sudden outburst. "Meet me here at eight AM. tomorrow." A confused look appeared on the faces of Neji and Hinata, though Naruto knew why. "I know what Kakashi-sensei said, but trust me." A mischievous grin appeared on his face. "It's time to give him a taste of his own medicine."

"Hai." Hinata smiled, she had heard of Kakashi's bad habits. She quickly figured out what her crush had planned. "Good night, Naruto-kun." She bow respectfully and followed her cousin out of sight.

Naruto glanced up at the night sky, the full moon shining brightly. In his first day back, he had gone through so much, yet there was one person who stood by him the entire time.

"Thank you… Hinata…" Silently, Naruto headed back to Sakura. She also said goodnight and made her exit. Inside his new home, Naruto was preparing as best as he could for a night's sleep on a wooden floor.

&&&&

The morning was rather cold; a clear sign that fall was just around the corner. The multi colored leaves were swirling in the wind, pacing by the face of a silver haired man. It was now ten AM; Kakashi had been reading his book for the last two hours. He had finished and was now rereading it. What was really bugging him, was the missing shinobi he was suppose to test.

'It's not like Naruto or Sakura to be late…' He let out a sigh. 'And from what Kurenai has told me, Hinata is always the first one to arrive.'

"Yo." After the smoke cleared, Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata were revealed, each standing on one of the three training posts. Kakashi reluctantly put his book away, giving a slightly annoyed glare at the three. "Sorry we're late, our clothes were dirty, so we had to clean them before we came."

"That's your excuse?" The three simply nodded. "I see…" A smiled was hidden under the mask of Kakashi as he let out a small chuckle. "That's a good one, I must write that one down." With the excuses out of the way, Kakashi once again held the bells out in front of him. "Sakura, Naruto, I'm sure you remember the rules." His single eye turned to the lavender haired kunoichi next to Naruto. "Your task is simple. You are to obtain these bells from me, by any means." He tied the bells to his waist and moved to adjust his hitai-ate.

"What? No Icha Icha?" Naruto smirked.

"No, I have a feeling I should be serious." Kakashi brought his hands to his sides, his Sharingan now revealed. "You have until nightfall to-"

"Let's go!" Naruto didn't give his sensei a chance to finish, whipping a barrage of shuriken at the Jounin. Kakashi swiftly fell to the ground, launching his own assault of projectiles. The blond leaped high into the air, avoiding the attack, but now he was a sitting duck.

'Looks like I get to end this quickly.' Kakashi thought as he threw four kunai at the male Genin. He was confused by the blond's positive smirk.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_ **(Shadow Clone Jutsu)**" Two Narutos were now floating in midair, the clone pulling Naruto out of the way.

'I see… Interesting.' Kakashi bolted forward in an attempt to subdue the blond before he could attack. Thanks to the Sharingan, the Jounin had avoided the attack of Hyuga Hinata's _Juken _**(Gentle Fist)** style. Landing several feet away from the Genin, Kakashi stood in a battle stance. A few seconds later, the Jounin could feel a slight pressure in his back. With a poof of smoke, the Naruto's disappeared and Hinata now stood alone while the real Naruto stood behind him with a kunai pressed against Kakashi's back. "You're timing with shadow clones has improved a lot. And your teamwork with Hinata…" He could only smile at his student's performance. "Even though your been gone so long and she isn't your normal teammate, you two are quite in sync." Needless to say, Hinata and Naruto were both pleased with Kakashi's words. "It looks like I'll really need to watch myself." The Jounin suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Damn." Naruto cursed.

"Naruto you idiot!" Sakura scowled. Hinata quickly formed the necessary hand seals to activate Byakugan. With the three now scanning the area, Kakashi was nowhere to be found. A small smirk appeared on Naruto's face. "If he is to the left or right..." A clone appeared next to him as the original began to gather chakra in his right hand.

"Not behind." Sakura cracked her knuckles.

"And he isn't above." Hinata also dawned a smile, the power of her kekkei genkai scanning the last possible area, finding their target.

"Below!" The three yelled in unison. Naruto's clone hand finished its job as the real Naruto held a swirling ball of chakra in his hand. What he wasn't prepared for was the sudden tremor that nearly knocked him off his feet. Sakura stood, her fist connected to the ground in front of the devastated terrain. The earth was jagged, the ground torn up in more ways than one. Amidst of it all, a stunned and somewhat scared Kakashi sat.

'W-What the hell…" Kakashi had no time to be shocked as Hinata quickly launched an offensive. Once again, the Jounin barely escaped as Hinata's palm slammed into the boulder, cracking slightly. 'There teamwork… Years being away from the village, yet his teamwork with these two is flawless.'

&&&&

Off to the side, three figured were in hiding, observing the battle.

"I see you really took that one under your wing, Tsunade." An older man chuckled. "Beauty, strength, and a short temper." Jiraiya could only burst out laughing. "Definitely a second Tsunade."

"Sakura will become a great medical ninja." The Hokage crossed her arms. "There is no doubt about that."

"Tsunade-same, do you think they stand a chance against Kakashi-san?" Shizune asked. Tsunade glanced over at her assistant.

"It all depends." She smiled, her attention now back to the battle. "They have all improved a lot after all."

&&&&

The team of three was hopping through the forest as the sun began to set, leaping from branch to branch. It had been many hours since they started and they had yet to obtain the bells.

"I think it is time, we pull out all the stops." Naruto began reaching into his hip pouch.

"Yeah, no more kidding around." Sakura grinned, keeping her eyes peeled for Kakashi. The three continued through, Naruto arming himself with shuriken. As he removed his hand, an object fell out of his pouch, landing on the forest floor. Unaware of it, he continued with the two kunoichi in tow. After they were long gone, figure came out of the underbrush. He picked up what looked like a little blue book.

"Is this?" The figure examined it closely, his eyes wide as saucers. "The new book!" Kakashi was giggling like a little schoolgirl. "Icha Icha Tactics huh?" He looked around, poorly checking his surroundings for his enemy. With no one in sight, he decided to take a quick peek. His eyes began scanning the pages, taking in each genius sentence. He had gotten to page ten when he heard a sizzling. A look of fear appeared on his face as he turned the page. "Oh shi-"

A loud explosion leveled a good section of the forest, leaving a smoldering crater.

"Unbelievable…" Hinata stood dumbfounded, staring at the devastated area.

"I can't believe that he fell for that." Sakura just shook her head, afterwards she turned to Naruto. He couldn't help but laugh, especially seeing his sensei crawling out of the burning debris.

"Don't take the bait if it's too obvious! Right, Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi could only give an annoying glare at his student.

'Smart ass little brat…' The older man watched as the three jumped to the ground, no more than thirty feet in front of him. 'Well, if they want to play with fire,' he began forming hand seals at an alarming rate. 'Then I'll give them fire.'

"Hand seals!" Naruto warned the others.

"So fast." Sakura prepared for a defensive position. She then noticed the final seal, a look of fear on her face.

"_Katon: __Gōkakyū no Jutsu! _**(Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu)**" Kakashi brought his hand to his mouth, a large mass of fire approaching the three at an alarming rate. Hinata stood in the center with her arms out forward, Naruto to her left and Sakura to her right. It seemed that the three couldn't get out of the way, or perhaps they weren't trying to. The fireball engulfed the younger ninjas, covering the entire area with smoke. Kakashi grinned under his mask, but a slight look of fear soon took over. As the smoke cleared, two large scorch marks could be seen, the trio standing in between them. Hinata was breathing heavily, her hands were moving at a slowing pace. The Jounin could only stare in disbelief. 'What the hell was that?'

"Nice work Hinata." Naruto smiled, "you never seize to amaze me." This made the said girl's cheeks to turn red. "_Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! _**(Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu)**" Kakashi was surrounded by hundreds of Naruto clones, all preparing to strike. "Let's go!" Clones began flying at the Jounin from every angle. Kakashi would dodge one clone, just to almost get hit by another.

'This is going to be awhile…' Kakashi thought to himself, punching another clone out of existence. During his battle with the clones, he had forgotten the other members of the team. Scanning the area while defending himself, he spotted Sakura coming right at him. 'I have to avoid her punches.' He swiftly dodged her, landing his right heel in her side. He soon spotted Hinata and Naruto, charging him at the same time. 'Avoid hers as well, I don't have to worry about Naruto.' He did just as he had planed; he avoided all of Hinata's trusts while he blocked the attacks of Naruto. The two seemed to back off, watching the older Jounin, a few seconds later; Kakashi's right arm went limp. He stared at the pair, trying to figure out what happened. It wasn't until he took a more detailed look at how the two had been attacking him. All of Naruto's trusts began as a fist, but ended as a palm strike, where Hinata's appeared to be a less than perfect form of the Juken taijutsu style. "I see… I was too worried about avoiding Hinata's attack, I never thought you would use a transformation." A grin appeared on the two, before they switched places in a puff of smoke.

"You should pay more attention to the battle sensei." Kakashi quickly spun around to see an airborne Sakura, her right fist glowing with chakra. Just as he was about to leap backwards, his left leg buckled underneath him.

'Damn! She got my leg too!?' Has the Jounin stumbled backwards, Sakura's fist connected with the ground in front of him. As the dust cleared, the setting sun tinted yet another devastated patch of terrain, Kakashi was sitting right in the middle of it all. He smiled under his mask, failing at his attempt to get up. "Well, you all have improved over the years. I'm proud of you." The trio hopped to where Kakashi was, being held in place by jagged earth and the immobility of his leg. Reaching with left hand, he grabbed the bells and held them up. "Nice work." Each one grabbed one of the bells, Naruto and Sakura helping their sensei up. Hinata quickly unblocked Kakashi's chakra points. (I work the Japanese name for Chakra points. If someone remembers, please let me know in a review.) After the Jounin was in condition to walk, the four shinobi made their way back towards civilization.

While Jiraiya and Tsunade smiled in approval at their student's performance, Shizune was as excited as could be.

"And you had doubt in them Shizune." Tsunade calmly said. "They haven't been training all this time for nothing." The older man chuckled.

"Naruto has grown into a fine shinobi, he is just like his father." He couldn't help but boast. "I did train his father after all, there is no way he can fail." The male Sannin let out a loud chuckle.

"Sakura's results are pretty clear, she will probably surpass myself at her rate." Tsunade crossed her arms.

"And Hyuga Hinata shows great promise." Shizune smiled. "With her Byakugan and ability to control and mold chakra, she could master many techniques, maybe even create some." She and Jiraiya watched as Tsunade began to walk. "What will we do now, Tsunade-same?" The blonde turned around with a large smirk on her face.

"We drink to success!" She continued walking, receiving an approving grunt from her former teammate, who quickly followed. The youngest of the three just sighed, thinking of the hassle of dragging home a drunk Hokage.

* * *

_**Sakka Bunsho no Jutsu!**_

**All right, the second chapter is posted! It was a little shorter than I wanted it to be, but if I had the story get and longer, the bell test would have just dragged on and I am sure that would have bored you all. I would like to focus more on the building relations of the characters than the battles. Don't get me wrong, they are fun to write, but I don't want this to turn completely into an action-based story. So that's why I cut this one shorter, plus I didn't really have much planed in between here and when the Chunin exams.**

**You may have noticed that I have placed the translated version of techniques next to the un-translated ones. The reasoning for this is that not everyone knows Japanese, even if they are reading stuff way ahead of the English anime and magna. For the time being, I was going to do this for the first time a move is used, but any time after that it would simple be the Japanese name for it. If you think this is a good idea, let me know. If you think I should just have the translated or just the un-translated jutsu, let me know. Feedback is important.**

**Like I said before, I like to make this story a challenge to write as much as I want it to be fun to write. That is why I am offering to add in 'Original Characters' of the readers, it makes me adjust to them being added to the story. I also will involve the reviewers by letting a certain reviewer to inspire their own touch into the story.**

**Sorry again for the long delay of the story. I blame .hack//G.U. because it came out in the middle of me writing this chapter. I just had to play it! I had to finish the third game!**

**So review and let me know what you think, I need your input to make the story what it is. Also if you notice any mistakes, feel free to point them out. I am not perfect and I do make spelling/grammar mistakes, though I trust spell check to fix most of the grammar parts.  
**


	3. Infiltrate the Hidden Base

**Welcome back to the story of Legends!**

Sorry for the long delay, been busy and all. I would like to start by saying that I have made minor editing, the main change is that Sylis has been changed from a fox half-demon to a wolf half-demon. One reason for this change is cause a lone wolf fits his personality better than a mischievous fox, also there would be a relationship between the Kyubi and Sylis and I just felt like that would be way to… coincidental for my taste. Though they may still have history, it is nothing like what was originally planed. This chapter is a little shorter cause I at least wanted to get something out to you guys. Enjoy and as always, I do not own Naruto. All OC are owned by their respective creators.

Dialog Legend

-"Spoken"-

-'Thoughts'-

-_Flashbacks_-

-_Being Read_-

-**Kyubi**-

&&&&

**Legends of Konoha**

_Infiltrate the Hidden Base_

&&&&

The night sky was tinted red and gray from fire and smoke. A small hut was slowly burning to the ground as a feral growl filled the air. In the middle of the fiery ring, a woman with a long black ponytail held the burnt remains of a corpse in her arms, her forehead pressed against the dead's. At the sound of footsteps, she raised her head, her features glowing in the yellow light of the flame. Her silver eyes burned with hatred, her ears were not normal, but pointed. She let out another growl, showing her fangs. She stood to her feet, sniffing the air.

"Where…" She spoke softly. "Tell me! Where is my son!?" Out of the fire, five cloaked figures emerged, their faces hidden by their garbs. The impatient demon let out another growl. "I will not ask again…" A tear rolled down her cheek, falling to the dirt ground. "You killed my beloved and I'll never forgive you for that, but if there is a single hair harmed on my son, I will make sure the entire continent is turn into a desolate wasteland!" No one spoke, only the crackling of the fire kept the silence away. "If that's how it will be… Then die!" Before she could take a step, roots and chains emerged from the snow, entangling the woman. Her eyes began to glow a deep violet but stopped as a small figure dash out in front of her, a worried expression replacing her rage. "No, get out of here!" Ignoring her word, the small child let out a growl, leaping at the five strangers. The middleman cried out in pain, clutching his right eye, blood pouring though his fingers.

"Little bastard!" The man lashed out with his left arm, a metal claw came in contact with the boy's right arm. The small child was thrown with such force; he skipped across the frozen tundra like a rag doll, slowly rolling to a stop.

"No!" The woman cried as the boy attempted to stand on his feet. "I'll take ca-ARG!" She cried out, it felt as if electricity was surging through her body, causing her to fall to her knees. As the boy staggered, the other four figured moved their arms in a flash, embedding the boy's body with kunai. The metal pierce his skin, embedding themselves into his chest and shoulder. The boy fell on back, his head walling on its side. He saw the woman break free of the chains, rushing to the child's side. She cradled the boy; bring his head against her breast. The boy's sight was now looking to the sky; his eyes caught the shimmer of a blade rushing towards the woman's skull.

The young man awoke with a gasp, his face covered in sweat. His breathing was heavy, his left hand quickly shot to his right arm, which housed a series of strange scars. His eyes shot back and forth, surveying the surrounding area. It was night; the stars were shining brightly along with the partial moon. He was sitting on a rather large tree branch that was suspended more than thirty feet in the air.

"Damn…" He spoke in a harsh whisper as he stood to his feet. He wore black sandals of a shinobi; his pants were blacker that an abyss. Along his waist were two long daggers that were perfect for quick attacks, yet it seemed as though they were never used. He wore what looked like a Chunin vest of Konoha, but dark blue instead of green, the swirl of Konoha missing as well. Left unzipped, a sleeveless gray shirt could be seen underneath, he also wore black half fingered gloves. Shining in the moonlight was the Leaf headband around his neck. His long blue hair went down past his waist, flowing freely in the gentle breeze. On the top of his head were ears of a fox. His face held a stone cold expression; kindness was an emotion that appeared to be absent, his gray eyes shone like silver through his bangs. "The same damn dream…" He punched the trunk of the tree in anger, letting out a deep growl.

"Sylis!" A hushed, yet harsh voice called out. The hanyo looked down to see Temari, giving a slight glare from her position on the ground.

"What do you want woman…" The hanyo aggressively demanded, a vein slowly throbbing on the forehead of flaxen haired kunoichi.

"The name is Temari..." She abruptly shot her arm up, pointing at the blue haired shinobi. "And you will address me as such!" Sylis simple scoffed at it, causing the kunoichi to let out an angry sigh. 'How did I get stuck with him?' Wanting to abandon the thoughts and return to bed, Temari slipped back into her sleeping bag. She tried clearing her mind, but just the opposite happened as her memories turned into images.

_Two days ago…_

_The Suna kunoichi was walking down the streets of Konoha, the sun barely peeking over the horizon. She had finished her morning workout only to be joined by a Leaf Jounin, informing her that the Hokage requested an audience. Making her way through the still silent town, she soon found the familiar tower. After ascending the many stairs and navigating the halls, Temari found herself in front of a pair of massive doors. Knocking on the door, she heard a command for her to enter. Opening the door, Tsunade could be seen in between mountains of papers and forms. The older blonde motioned for the girl to approach her desk._

"_You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?" Temari asked, respectfully bowing._

"_Yes I did." The older blonde's hand moved to a drawer, pulling out a scroll. She placed it on the edge of the desk, leaning back in her chair afterwards. "We have received complaints of disturbances as well strange people wandering around a small village that serves as a checkpoint between Suna and Konoha." She let out a deep sigh. "Because of the Chunin Exams, the Kazekage and I wish to keep the path safe for all those traveling." Her eyes returned to the younger kunoichi in front of her. "Gaara has requested that you lead a team of our shinobi to investigate." Temari closed the scroll after confirming it's content._

"_Which Jounin will be coming with me?" The older woman shook her head._

"_I feel that the selected can handle this, their skills are impressive." Tsunade reached for three files, handing them to Temari. "The first is Genin, Ryuu Kenshin." As she spoke, the brunette scanned the papers. "Age sixteen, he is not on any team at the moment, he graduated the academy years ago with average marks. He is skilled with wrist swords (1), using his family's taijutsu style, Ryuuken. The second member is __Kokuzoku Junko, age thirteen, she graduated this year at the academy with average marks, though her skills on the battlefield are far above average." Temari glanced at her profile; at the top was a picture of a younger girl with medium length, orange hair. She had her eyes closed, a smile on her face. Before the older woman could continue her briefing, a figure jumped onto the open window still. Tsunade knew who it was, but Temari could only see a darken figure due to the sunlight._

"_Perfect timing Sylis." Tsunade turned her head towards the hanyo._

'_Sylis?' The younger blonde was about to recall old memories, but was interrupted by the voice of the blue haired hanyo._

"_I heard you have a mission for me old hag" A vein bulged at the nickname Sylis had given to the Hokage. Her right hand slowly began searching the top of her desk._

"_What have I told you about calling me that!" She yelled as her hand found an object and launched it at the hanyo. He scoffed, dodging it with ease._

"_Must be getting blind in your old age." The Hokage growled in anger, but blew it off, wanting to get the annoyance out of the room. Before he could insult her again, Sylis took noticed of the other presence in the room. Glancing at Temari, he quirked his brow. "What's she doing here?"_

"_Sylis, you will be accompanying Temari on this mission. Your objective is-"_

"_What!?" Sylis glared angrily at the older blonde. The younger cringed at his booming voice while the older appeared to be unfazed. "What part of 'I work alone' don't you understand!?" His voice boomed through the room, he slammed his fists on the Hokage's desk. Tsunade smirked; taking his outburst as a successful counterattack._

"You will go on this mission, I don't care if you like it or not Sylis." She returned to her chair, rubbing her temples. "Hinata is busy with another mission and Naruto hasn't returned." While the two were arguing, Temari looked over Sylis' brief profile. Skilled in close quarters combat and tracking, his most deadly weapons are his own claws but will occasionally use large daggers. Combined with his hanyo attributes of increased healing rate, agility and inhuman strength, he is an excellent choice for a fighter. There is no information on his ninjutsu or genjutsu abilities. Sylis biggest fault is his inability to work with and trust others, refusing to take orders from anyone. This is a huge liability for mission success.

'Well that sounds on the dot…' Temari glanced up to watch the scene that was going on in front of her. The hanyo and Hokage arguing like kids, she could help but grin at the childishness of the situation either.

---

'This is going to be a long mission…' She thought as she drifted into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile…

The night was dark with the exception of the partial moon, the sounds of crickets chirping was all that broke the silence. In the midst of the trees, a cloaked man stood, the moonlight reflecting off his glasses. We surveyed back and forth, bringing what seemed like a piece of grass to his lips. Blowing on it, it produced no sound. After ten minutes, he was joined by another figure, emerging from the shadows.

"You are late." A man's voice came from the figure wearing glasses. The second shrugged their shoulders, crossing their arms afterwards.

"I had to avoid being caught, cut me some slack." The second figure states calmly.

"Fair enough, I do not doubt you." The man shifted, his glasses no longer reflecting light. "I assume everything is going as planned?" The second figure held out a scroll, avoiding the moonlight as much as possible.

"There is another, one more than expected." A laugh escaped the man, after reading the scroll.

"No matter, they're just an extra in the script. We will dispose of them." He placed the scroll inside of his cloak, turning away from the other figure. "Go now, before you are discovered." The second figure quickly disappeared, leaving the young man alone again. "Do not fail our master."

&&&&

The morning came quickly; as the others began to stir awake, they found Sylis was already awake. Sylis was leaning against a tree while the others finished taking down camp.

"What's taking so long?" Sylis barked, glaring at the three. His remark caused his to receive glared from the others as while Kenshin just shook his head.

"Well you could help us." The orange haired girl said as she wiped the sweat off her brow. Covering her petite body was a black short-sleeved shirt; the cloth extending passed her waist to act as a skirt. Around her waist was a white sash which held a chain and sickle against her lower back. She wore black boots that covered up to her knee, around her left thigh was a kunai holster.

"Junko is right you know." Kenshin placed his things on the ground, pointing at the hanyo. "We would already be on our way if you would do something." Sylis scoffed and looked away.

"Well if you didn't bring so much junk, there wouldn't be anything to do put away now would there?" The hanyo grinned at his victory. The others just moaned at his stubbornness.

"Listen Sylis…" Temari walked over, her voice was calm. "I know you don't want to be here, but you're really starting to piss me off." She gave a harsh look. "Once we get to the village, we just have to investigate. Do you think you could give it a rest till then?" Sylis scoffed before walking off. Temari let out a sigh, turning back to the rest of the group. "Alright, lets move it."

&&&&

As the group was walking through he town, the citizens were throwing hateful glares at the ninjas, whispering in disgust.

"What is that 'thing'?"

"It must be a filthy sub-human."

"What is that monstrosity doing in our town?"

"We should kill that unholy creature." Although they were just whispers, Sylis heard their words as if they were standing right next to him. He did his best to ignore it all, but couldn't help to let a growl slip. The brunette kunoichi of the group stop and turned to the hanyo. Taking notice of the teal eyes watching him, he glanced at the girl.

"What is it…" He spoke harshly, but kept his voice to just above a whisper.

"Why don't you secure the parameter, see if there is anything you can find." The expression on Sylis face was a mixture of confusion and annoyance. His eyes narrowed, making Temari feel as if he were peering into her very soul, analyzing her every thought. His eyes widen in surprise, but he quickly turn to hide his face. Without a word, he disappeared into the crowd, leaving Temari and the two confused Genin. Turning around, she saw the looks Kenshin and Junko were giving her. Rubbing the back of her head, she smiled nervously. "He is looking into something." She placed her hands at her side and walked in front of the Genin. "Come on, we have to meet with the village head right away."

"Yes ma'am!" The younger two said in unison. The trio continued down the crowded streets until they reached an elaborate looking building. Upon entering, they took note of the traditional Japanese interior. A man with gray hair and blue kimono was kneeling on the tatami mats that made up the floor. Next to him was a younger man with black hair, holding many scrolls, by his appearance; one would guess he was an assistant. Looking up from the scrolls in front of them, the gray haired man smiled.

"Ah, you must be the shinobi from Konohagakure! Welcome." The man looked at the three approaching, a look of concern on his face. "Weren't there four of you?" The leader of the group bowed respectfully to the client.

"I sent our other member to gather information." Temari announced while Kenshin and Junko stood still behind her. A saddened look appeared on the older man's face.

"I see… I would like to apologize for the behavior of the citizens here." He made his way to a window, staring at the bustling townsfolk. "As you know, yokai and hanyo are rarely seen in this world and the people hate them because they fear their power." He turned and faced the three shinobi. "I hope this will not stop you from assisting us."

"Of course not, it will not be a problem." Temari reassured the older man. "We will begin our investigation right away." The three disappeared in a flash, leaving the two alone. The younger assistant turned to the older, a worried look on his face.

"Master, do you-"

"Do not worry." The gray haired man faced the other. "Now that they are here, everything will be fine."

&&&&

A few hours had passed and very little had been accomplished. Temari and Kenshin were currently waiting on Sylis and Junko to return. The sun peaked in and out from behind the clouds, blinding the red haired Genin.

"Damn, they're late." Kenshin brought his hand up, blocking the light. He squinted and turned to the kunoichi. "Shouldn't we go look for them?" The Suna Nin was about to speak when the orange hair kunoichi came running, out of breath.

"Junko? What's wrong?" Temari ran to the other girl, quickly checking for wounds.

"I-I found something." She spoke in between gasps for air. "But Sylis ran ahead, he was chasing two people." She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. "They looked like regular thugs, he followed them into a weird underground entrance of some sort." She bowed her head in shame. "I tried to stop him so we could all go in together, but he didn't listen." At hearing this, Kenshin slapped his face, slowly dragging his hand down.

"That idiot!" Temari yelled, readjusting the large fan on her back. "Junko, lead the way. We are going in!" The three moved in a flash, heading through the thick forest terrain. It wasn't long until the reached the entrance that Junko spoke of. Temari stood in front of stairs that led down into the depth of the earth. 'Is this suppose to be hidden?' Temari couldn't let the thought leave her mind. 'This could have been discovered by anyone… you'd think they would at least have covered it physically…' She didn't dwell on it long, they had a comrade to recover. Without word, she hurried down the stairs, the others in tow.

&&&&

Monitors flickered in a dimly lit room, the walls were made of ever gray bricks, giving the look of a, eerie dungeon. A man came into view, the images of the screen reflecting off his glasses.

"I see… So they finally entered." The silver haired man grew a cynical smirk. The sound of footsteps quickly brought him out of his current thoughts, his gaze fell on a man with jet black, spiky hair. Standing at six foot, the man's body was covered in a cloak, his face covered in a black mask.

"What are your orders, Kabuto-san?" The man's raspy voice asked, his narrow eyes watching the silver haired man closely.

"Do as you wish, but don't forget the mission." Kabuto adjusted his glasses, hiding the seriousness on his face. "Track down the missing intruder personally, send your subordinates after the others." Bowing, the cloaked figure quickly disappeared.

&&&&

The trio ran down the seemingly endless hallway, the dim torchlight was barely enough to see where they were going.

"Don't you find it weird?" Kenshin turned his head to their blonde leader.

"You mean that we haven't encountered an enemy yet?" Temari looked straight ahead, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Yes, I do. There is a chance that they are busy fighting Sylis, so we'd better help the idiot." The blonde quicken her pace, the other two followed. After what seemed like an eternity, the narrow hall opened up, revealing a fork in the road. Above each doorway was a different word. Junko walked in the middle, glancing at each path from left to right.

"Heaven, Earth, and Hell…" She turned back to her comrades, a questioning look staring back at them. "Which way do we go?"

"We must assume that we are up against shinobi, so the best course of action would be to stick together." Temari crossed her arms, a worried expression on her face. "But we have to find Sylis." She quickly changed from worry to anger, her fist shaking with rage. 'Damn that reckless idiot!' "Kenshin, take Hell. Junko, take Heaven. I'll take Earth." As the three split up, the echoing footsteps of the Genin faded. She had been running for minutes now, in that time she had already come up with many tactics for countless scenarios. The kunoichi's thoughts changed to that of the hanyo she was searching for. 'Doing something so rash, so foolish… What was he thinking?' Temari was quickly snapped out of her thoughts by a loud slam, she turned to find her way blocked. "Damn!" She slammed her fist against the wall, discovering that it was indeed solid. Her head snapped back at a sudden sound, the mixture of clashing metal and cries of pain. Reaching for her fan, she went the only way she could, towards the fray. As she drew closer, she could now distinguish actual words instead of just yelling.

"Like I'm afraid of a freak like-" A sound of a fist connecting with it's intending victim, followed by a loud thud.

"Shut up!" Another barrage of strikes hit their intended target. Assuming all were enemies, Temari slowed as she came near the end of the hall. She pressed herself against the wall, staying in the slim shadows. Slowly adjusting her head, she could see a large circular room. In the middle stood her blue haired comrade, holding a thug in the air by the neck. At his feet was another man, his body bruised and bloody. "So, you gonna tell me what I want to- Hey!" The man fainted in his grasp. "Damn it!" Sylis dropped the unconscious man to the ground, growling in frustration. His ears animalistic ears twitched at the sound of footsteps, causing him to quickly turn around. "Huh." He eyes watched as Temari made her way towards him, dragging her battle fan across the ground. "Well," the hanyo crossed his arms and closed his eyes, "it's about time you sho-"

"You idiot!" Her fist met his skull with a loud crunch, causing Sylis to glare at the Suna Nin.

"What the hell was that for woman!?" He was struck again, adding a second bump to his head. "Would you quit hitting me!"

"Just what the hell were you thinking!?" Temari yelled at the top of her lungs. "What made you think it was such a good idea to go off on your own!?"

"I handled it didn't I?" He scoffed, crossing his arms again.

"That's not the point!"

"Stop your yapping you annoying woman! Agh! Quit hitting me!"

"Baka…" She adjusted the grip on her fan, walking passed the blue haired shinobi. "So, did you find anything out?" He shrugged his shoulders, walking at her same pace.

"They know how to fight, they aren't just thugs." As they were walking, he dislodged a kunai from the wall.

"Shinobi?" Temari looked over her shoulder, seeing a nod from the serious faced hanyo. She turned back to the path ahead of her, leaving the large room and into yet another hallway. Taking in the new information, she kept a careful eye on her surroundings. 'So… We are dealing with enemy ninja… Could it be missing-nin acting as thieves?' She continued to run ideals as well as plans through her head. The first thing she needed to do was regroup with the rest of her team; their safety was top priority over everything else. The two continued to walk in silence, Sylis trailing behind her. The two had hit another diving fork when a sudden thought hit her like a ton of bricks. 'Wait… Why is he being so… cooperative?' Her eyes widened as she whipped around, standing in an attack position. Her sudden action made Sylis quirk his brow, giving her an odd glare.

"What's your problem woman? That time of the month or something?" She nearly fell on the floor when she heard that, she stood to her feet and swung her massive fan. Dodging at the last second, the unique weapon crashed into the ground leaving Sylis to glare at his supposed ally. "What the hell you crazy bitch!?"

"You idiot!" The two began glaring at each other; both making a noise that resembled a growl.

"I'm the idiot? Who keeps hitting their own ally?" Sylis yelled, crossing his arms.

"Than stop acting like an ass!"

"Shut up!" The bickering continued for minutes until Temari finally turned her back to the cause of her distress.

"Lets just get out of here. The sooner we do, the sooner I can forget all about this mission."

"Fine by me woman." He opened his eyes, sniffing the air. "Where are you going? You won't get out that way." She turned on her heel, giving off an annoyed look.

"Since when did you give a rat's ass about any of us you damn sub-human!?" Realizing what she had said, the wind summoner quickly clapped her hand over her mouth. It was the first time; she had ever seen an expression of pain in the hanyo's eyes. "Sylis, I… I didn't-" His gaze lowered, hiding his eyes in the shadow of his bangs.

"Well…" The wolf brought a hand to the headband around his neck, ripping it off in a swift movement. "I'll do you and the others a favor…" The headband hit the stone floor with a loud clang. Sylis turned his back to the blonde, walking down a different path. "Tell the old hag, she is down a pawn."

"Wait!" She called out, taking a step and reaching out to him.

"Follow me, and I'll kill you." Sylis' cold voice stopped her dead in her tracks; she felt a terrifying killing intent that made her shiver. She was frozen in fear, only able to listen to his fading footsteps. She fell to her knees, breathing heavily. She hadn't felt fear like that since one of Gaara's transformations. Not only that, but she hadn't meant what she said.

"Sylis…" She felt no hatred for hanyo, what she said was out of rage but Temari knew that there was no excuse for what she said. "Well… There is nothing I can do…" She recomposed herself. 'I'll find that others and we will return to Konoha… without Sylis…' Temari grabbed her battle fan and ran down her chosen path. No sooner had she chosen a path, she came to another large room and its size was comparable to that of the Chunin battle arena. She saw another opening and ran to it, just to have it slam shut in front of her face.

"This will be you final resting place." Temari whipped around to find herself surrounded. The figure talking was a large man who was shrouded in a cloak while the surrounding foes were dressed in familiar garbs of black and gray.

"So… This is the doing of Otogakure?" Temari swiftly opened her fan, the scowl on her face quickly changed to a smirk. "I'll show you the true strength of Suna!"

**Glossary**

(1) A wrist sword is exactly like that of Sora from the anime .hack//SIGN or Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist.

Ryuuken – Dragon Fist: A form of taijutsu that was developed by the Ryuu clan. Unlike most forms of taijutsu that are simply hand-to-hand, this style utilizes blades that are attached to the wrist, attacking as if they are an extension of their arms. While some argue that this is a form of swordsmanship, the style can be used without the blades though it is less effective.

Ok, thanks for reading. I again apologize for the long wait; I am doing my best to get back into the story from my video games. To those of you who haven't left a review, why not? I need the input from the readers and I see there are a quite a bit of you who have my story or me on their alert list. Can't wait to what you guys think.

Dragon Man, sorry Kenshin hasn't seen more action, I promise he will get more in the next chapter.


	4. Canceled

I would like to apologize to those who have enjoyed this story, but for various reasons I am canceling it. Sometime in the future, I may start another Naruto story, but it will not be a continuation of this one.


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